Interlocking block.



H. M. FRANCIS. INTERLOCKING BLOCK. APPLICATION FILED PEB.24, 1913.

vPatented Nov. 4, 1913.

m m F N H @Houtman v in place.

fI though it could be hollow, cellular, rein- HOWARD M. FRAN-cis, or ronnnsr, ILLINOIS'.

INTERLOCKING Broom Specification of Iettex-s Patent.

Patented Nov. 4., i913.-

Applicatioa mea February 24,1913. serial No. 750,394.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD M. FRANCIS, a citizen of the United "States, yresiding vat Forrest, in the county of Livingston and State of Illinois, have invented certainnew and .useful Improvements in Interlocking vBlocks; and I do declare the :following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such' as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappe-rtai-ns to make and use the same.

This invention relates to wallscomposed of blocks of concrete and the like which may be hollow, solid cellular, or reinforced internally; and more especially to blocksl of this character which are interlocked with each other when they. are laid in ,a wall; and the object of the same is to improve: and to simplify the construction of such aI block so thatI only two forms are necessaryA to build a complete structure with right-2 angular corners, and with a corresponding: face (which may be ornamented) ever outer-l most.

This and other objects are accomplished by formi g the block in the manner herein-i after mo e fully described and claimed, and as shown in the drawings wherein- Figure l is a perspective view of a sec-i1 tion of a wall made with my improved? block, showing a corner thereof and yillusl trating the manner in which the rows orf layers of blocks are placed; and Fig. 2 is ai perspective detail ofthe corner block in therow next above the corner shown in Fig. 1,! said corner block being in position to be put Fig. 3 is a perspective detail showing the lower row and corner from; Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view of one ofg the corner blocks, and Fig. 5 a perspective; detail of a curved block which I employ where the wall is to be .circular or curved .Fig 6; is -an enlarged cross section, andi Fig. 7E an enlarged longitudinal section." through a portion of this wall, as will be referred to hereinafter.

No novelty for the composition or -the size and the specific shape of this block is claimed, further than as it is shaped for interlocking purposes when used in building a wall. That is to say, I prefer .to construct this block of concrete or cement., although `it could be made of clay and burned; and t prefer to construct it solid as shown, al-

forced or not as desired, a'nd probably ornamented on its outer or exposed face. The

'size of the block is not essential, save las set forth in the proportions4 hereinafter mentioned.

The primary object'of this invention to construct a building 'block whereof only two forms are necessary to build a complete wall with right-angular corners, and only one form is necessary to build a circular wall as--vthat of a silo or tank. I might add that where openings occur as for doors and windows, they may be formed by omitting the main blocks in as many rows as are i necessary to make an opening the height of the door required, and breaking or cutting Aoil the .protruding ends of alternate blocks' alongside the openings in -a manner' well.

known to masons and brickla-yers. It is true that for this Ipurpose the 'manufacturer might produce half-blocks, 'and doubtless he would do so if .thefmain blocks were reinforcedbecause it would be necessary to f reinforce thefha'lf-block sothat Athe metal rods or other-reinforcing .elements did not 80 run across `their centers-otherwise they could not wellbe broken. Butas the protruding ends of the ,main blocks in every other row alongside the doorway might be permitted Vto-remain and the spaces between them filled up with brickbats which in the finished wall would Vbe Covered by the outside trim of vthe dooror window-frame,

these half-.blocks .are not absolutely essen.- tia1,1and therefore I make the broad statement thatthe wall can be built with blocks of Ibut tvvo ,types or a circular wall with f blocks'of a single type. y

The main block, whereof a ood example isillustrated in. Fig. .3, has a ody 1 whose dimensions 'are unimportant' but whose height is preferably about twice lits thick.

thickness. I may ere say that the main block vshown in Fig; 5 possesses. every detail- .,ness and whose length about four times its 4of construction involved in the main block illustrated -in Fig. 3 and about to` be described, save that it is curved slightly as showmand of course its ornamentation if it have any must be on its outer face. On this understanding, each main block has a recess 2 in its u per-edge extending the full width of the lock, its depth being' unimportant but perhaps -one inch, and its length being slightly greater thanf double the ves vto

M amarte said recess I preferably make flat, and itsy g ends 4 slightly oblique as best seen in Fig. 7 and the upper faces'of the lugs 3 are also preferably made fiat although l rovide them with longitudinal grooves 5 or .the interlocking elements which are shown in m Fig. 7 as rods 6; and if there can be but a1- single element between the blocks in .each two rows as shown in Fig. 6, these grooves are disposed by preference slightly nearer theouter face O for the purpose of giving the reinforce greater strength at corners as Will be explained below.

Attention is directed to thefact that the groove y5 is not cut'as deep into the lug 3 as e the recess 2 is cut intol the body 1-in fact.

the groove extends down into the lug for only labout half the Adepth-of the recess or half the height of the end 1 of the latter, as

seen in Fig. 5.l The result of this detail is,

that when rods or wires 6 are'laidinto the 4 25 grooves of a row of' blocks and drawntight,

they rest in said grooves but they -span'the spaces or recesses 2 and are-not intended to touch the bottom thereof. l

rl`he lower edge of' each mainhloc'kfi'smade in precisely the samernanner as its By preference I'rnake each end ""ofth'e main block with irregularities here' shown of the block so that theywill not interfere with the groove or forcing element. Ot erwise the end face of each block is dat as shown at 9, and in lay-` ing the blocks in a row these faces are intended to come into close Contact with each other, excepting for a thin web of mortar or plastic cement as indicated at 10 in Fig. 7,

and the presence of the grooves or irregu- `larities 7, 8, prevents this mortar from falling out of place in case it should become anular.

so The blocks for the corner are all constructed alike, and are well-illustrated. in Figs. 2 and t. Each must be of the sanie thickness and the saineheight as the main blocks; each may also be solid, holes low, cellular, or reinforced if desired g: and each has in what l will call its inner end y upright irregularities or grooves 17 and 18 adapted to mate with those in the contiguous main block of the same row. The-body 11 of the corner block is by preference straight, because this block will most always be used at the corner of a straight wall and where a right angle is to be"turned' .however, l do not wish to be limited vy`in this respect, be-

'et cause curved wells might he built with its upper edge it has a recess 12 Whose ends greater length' than the lu respond with the ornamentation (iffany) on in the shape of upright grooves 7 and 8 disposed rather near the inner andA outer-facesooves 5 for thereinf angles in them, or the angle in any wall might be other than a right angle. Said body 1l is, however, threefourths the length of the body 1 of the main block, so that it' the latterbe two feet long with its recess 2 slightly over one foot long and each lug 3 slightly less than six inches long, the body 11 of the corner block would be one and one# half feet long as shown in the drawings. In

14 are beveled upwardly, and the project'- 75 ing lug 3 at the inner end of this yblock exactly corresponds with` one of the' lugs 3 on a main block While the projecting recess at the other side of the recess 12risfcut`oil" 780 on a diagonal line 13 from-the' inner edge of the recess 12 at the inner face of the block to the outer edge of ,thelug 13, at the outer 1 faceof the block', said line 13? running to the extreme corner 'of thefblo'cklv andtherefore of the wall being formed' andl being beveled-upwardly like the ends' 1t of therecess 12. Thelatter at its shorter edge along the inner 'face of the block is of slightly 3 at bo. outer edge alongtheouter ace of the block it is of slightly greater length than .twice the lengthef the lug 3". The outer face of this corner block willfbefornamented to corthe outer faceslof the main blocks, as also its outer'end 0. j ."With this .construction of my' improved interlocking blocks, a wall is built in the followingv manner: 0n a'fsuitable base or lico foundation lE l `preferaloly spread a little Vcement or liquid mortar lili, and inthis mor- Vtar l lay a reinforcing elemento; then l lay vthe first row or tierofmain blocks 1, wiping additional mortar into their lower reces'ses 'and pressing them downwardly onto the mortar M; if they; have irregularities v7 and 8 in their extremities;`rnortar'10rnayfbe wiped over the extremities as the' blocks 4 are laid, or the maybe laid in close or very close contact wlth eachother end to end and lliquidcement poured in later; and'f ya circular wall is being' built, this process is continued all around the structure. Then 1 tayl a "reinforcing [element 6 Ainto the grooves 5 which are exposed at. the top of y this-row"v` or tier, ll these groovesl and the recesses 2 with mortar M; level it ed 'and repeat the o eration forthe next row ortier excepting t at the blocks are laid so that each has its mid-length Adisposed above the line between the two blocks in the vrow below .as seen [in lFig. 1` and therefore each block breaks' joint with those in the next rows aboveand below. 'lhe function of the specific form of grooves 5 andi-reinforce 6 will new be apparent, asfalso the purpose of making the recess a little igreater than twice the ength of each lng. v*lt is intended4 ies that thereinforee elements shall he rods or '1h0- t mamas i heavy wires, and if thelatter they'must be stretched tight. While' they lie in the up,- per grooves of any row, they span the recesses exposed, and when mortar is applied it lls the unoccupied. portions of the grooves and fills into the recess below and around the reinforce element; then when the block in the next row is wiped withy mortar and put into place so as to breakjoint-as described, the grooves-5 in its lugs 'engages half the stretches-.off the wires across vthe two adjacent recesses 2 so that eventuallythe lugs 3 of two contiguous blocks in one row when: they are pressed downward will nearly fill the `recess in the block belowvv at a time when the ends of the two blocks in the uppermost -row come-nearly orquite to-4 gether; For the position of parts at this time,'1 attentionviisdirected to Fig. 7. The

result will 'bef th'atthe reinforce elements' 'remain'l strung Vstraight through the wall,-4 and the blocksthroughout the wall are tied to or connected with each other in such mani superim sedweight, and theycannotmove longitu inally because of the abutting- .of

their ends against each other and the inter'- engagement of their shoulders 4.

Whena corner is to be constructed, one of the corner blocks is laid as seen in Fig. 3 so that the base of4 its triangular lug 13 is against the extremity of the mainY block last laid, the upright of said lug is at the outer side of the walltover the outer endO' of this corner block, and the hypothenuse ofthe lug faces outward' and in the direc'- tion which. the wall is-to follow. The inner end of the corner block is grooved or made this end the irregular end of the main block in the angular'wall is laid. Thereafter the 1 reinforcing or interlocking element 6 islaid in the uppermost groove, and the groove 15 in the'lug 13 permits this element to make a right angle as shown in Fig. 3. The next tier of blocks is then laid in the manner ,nuse of? the triangular lug 13 is always disposed toward the outer face of the corner block, the latter must be inverted as this second row or tier is laid, and therefore the hypothenuse of its lower lug 13 will mate withthe hypothenuse of the upper lug-in the first row in a manner which will be understood. If it should so happen that a wall is to be built with a double angle in it, the row at the right end of Fig. 1 could be caused to turn an angle to the left by means of corner blocks ofthe same construction,

providedv they were. Vlaid according to the instructions )ust given;

While. I prefer to employ the irregularii ties in the meeting ends of the blocks and the mortar or liquid cement 10, it is quite possible that other forms ofv irregularities could be used at this point'. It is also pos-'l sible'that a greater number. of interlocking orreinforcing elements could be employed,

or perhaps they might be done away ywith entirely.. But I consider it' desirable if not essential that the length of the recesses 2 shall be slightly greater than twice the length .of the lugs 3, especially where the ends or shoulders. 4L. are beveled as shown,

`because when the extremitieso'f two blocks J'in anupper row are brought together and ,their lower-lugs borne down into a recess as seen ilL Fig. 7, it is desirable ,thatta little .mortar remain beneath said' lugs 'and between the contiguous beveledshoulders 4 as therein shown. For the same reason I pre fer to employ mortar 10 between the meetling extremitles, because if there be mortar all-'around each block the wall will be airtight and probably water-tight.

What is claimed as new is: l L A corner block for walls having onieach horizontal edge a lug at one` end, a lug at r the other end duplicating the irstexcepting that1 it is cut away on a diagonal line eX- tending from the inner face to the outer corner of thislblock,'and a recess between said diagonalline of one lug andthe inner `outer corner of this block, a recess between irregular as shown at 17 and 18, and against said .diagonal line of'onelu'gand the inner end of the other lug, all full-length 'lugs beingprovided with longitudinal grooves 1n 3. In a wall corner, the combination with" main blocks whereof each is recessed in its upper and lower edges so as to leave lugs seA at both ends of each recess, the latterr being j substantially twice. the length of each lug; of corner blocks three-quarters the length of the main block, each having on each horizontal edge a lug at one end duplcat'ing'one v of the lugs .on a main blocka lugat the other end duplicatingthe other lug on said main block excepting thatfit is-cut away onY a diagonal line extending from the inner face to the outer corner of this block, and a recess between said diagonal line of one lug and the inner end of the other lug.

4. ln a wall corner, the combination with main blocks whereof each is recessed in itsv upper and lower edges so as to leave lugs at both ends of each recess, the latter being substantially twice the length of each lug; of corner blocks three-quarters the length of the main block, each having on each horizontal edge a lug at one end duplicating one of the lugs on a main block, a lug at the'other end duplicating the other lug on Vsaid main block excepting that it is cut away on a diagonal line extending Jfrom the inner face to the outer corner of this block, a recess between said diagonal line of one lug and the inner end of the other lug, all fulL,

length lugs being provided with longitudinal grooves in their outer edges, and said" `of the main block, each having on each horizontal edge a lug at one end duplicating one of the lugs on a main block, a lug at the other end duplicating the other -lug on said main block 'excepting that it is cut away on a diagonal line extending fromthe inner face to the outer corner of this block, a recess between said diagonal line of one lug and the inner end of the other lug, all fulllength lugs being provided with longitudinal grooves in their outer edges, and said divided lugs being provided with a groove at right angles to the length of the groove in its full-length lug and all said grooves being sunk in said lugs for half the distance which the latter project above the bottom of the contiguous recesses, and interlocking rods lying in said grooves.

6. In a wall corner, the combination with mam blocks whereof each 1s recessed m its novatos upper and lower edges so as to leave lugs at both ends of each recess; of corner blocks each having on its horizontal edge a lug at one end duplicating one of the lugs on a main block, a lug at the other end duplicating the other lug on said main block excepting that it is cut away on a diagonal line extending from the inner face to the outer corner of this block, all full-,length lugs vbeing provided with longitudinal grooves in their outer edges, and said divided lugs being provided with a groove at right angles to the length of the groove in the full-length lug and all said grooves being nearer the outer than the inner faces of the block. v

7 In a. wall corner, the combination with main blocks whereofl each is recessed in its upper and lower edges so as to leave lugs at both ends of said recess; of corner blocks each having on its horizontal edge a lug at Vone end duplicating one of the lugs on a main block, a lug at the other end duplicating the other lugv on said main' block excepting that it is cut away on a diagonal line extending from the inner face to the outer corner of this block, all ull-length lugs being provided with longitudinal grooves in their outer edges, and each divided lug being provided with a groove at right angles to the length of the groove in the full-length lug and all said grooves being nearer the outer than the inner faces of the blocks, upright grooves in the `meeting ends of all blocks lying out of alinement with the grooves in said lugs, and interlocking rods lying in the last-named grooves.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HOWARD M. FRANCIS. Witnesses:

VAN Ess MCDOWELL, J. G. BoRNHIzER. 

